


some things you don't forget

by onlyeverthus



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-01
Updated: 2015-12-01
Packaged: 2018-05-04 11:10:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5332034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlyeverthus/pseuds/onlyeverthus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He's built a secret place just for them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	some things you don't forget

He holds his hand out to Rose and waggles his fingers, his face alight with excitement. She grins and grasps his hand and they run. The grass needs cutting and it tickles Rose's legs as they dash across the field, her skirt fluttering just above her knees.

They reach the woods, and he bends a little for Rose to climb onto his back, as her sandals are not suitable for tromping through the forest. He piggybacks her through the trees and his hands are tight on her thighs, her arms around his neck while she whispers in his ear and gently kisses the back of his neck. He has something to show her and he stops to set her down as they reach a clearing, in the center of which grows a large and ancient-looking tree.

Rose grins a bit skeptically as she stares up at the tree house, practically gleaming in its newness.

_You built this?_ she says.

He frowns. _Don't be so quick to judge_ , he admonishes and pulls her over to the tree.

He rushes up, as fast as one can rush on a rope ladder, and clambers onto the platform. He pokes his head over the edge, grinning down at Rose.

_C'mon!_

Rose's grin widens and she reaches for the ladder, beginning her climb up. She reaches the top and he helps her up. She smoothes the front of her sundress, white with little blue flowers, and thinks it will be amazing if she makes it through the day unstained.

She walks to the edge of the platform and gives the railing an experimental push before leaning against it and gazing down at the small creek with its little waterfall, burbling along its run through the clearing. He comes to stand beside her, gazing at her earnestly, and she smiles at him and tells him it's lovely.

_There's more_ , he says and turns her around, pointing at the raised structure jutting out from one side of the tree.

It's like a bed, not very deep and with a thin but comfortable looking mattress on top. It's scattered with pillows and haphazardly placed blankets and looks quite wonderful. She looks at him and grins, her eyebrows raised. He blushes and hastily explains that it's not quite what she thinks. She laughs and nods, nudging him with her arm. He relaxes, grinning at her.

_D'you know_ , he says, _there's a planet where everyone lives on platforms like this? It's called... it's called..._

He trails off and his face falls as he realizes he can't remember the name of the planet.

This has been happening more and more lately, the forgetting of things he knew before. Planets, galaxies, star systems, civilizations, dates, even names. It hurts him more than Rose can understand, this failing of his memory, which before had seemed endless and is now bound by the constraints of his comparatively smaller human mind.

Rose takes his hand and smiles gently at him, leaning forward to kiss his furrowed brow.

_The name's not important_ , she murmurs. _When we get home we'll write the description down, like always, and if you remember the name, we'll add it. Yeah?_

He nods and his expression softens, the lines on his forehead smoothing.

Rose turns and sits on the bed, testing the mattress, shifting pillows around. She holds her hand out and he takes it, allowing her to pull him to her.

_Lie with me_ , she says and pulls her legs up. He obliges, stretching out beside her.

They lie shoulder to shoulder, staring up at the patches of sky they can see through the trees. Rose holds her hand up towards a sunbeam as though she wants to touch it, and they watch the light and shadow dance over her skin. He raises his hand to hers, crossing their wrists and entwining his fingers with hers, letting the sunlight shimmer on them both.

After a minute, he turns on his side, their hands falling down between them, and smiles down at her.

_I love it_ , she says, smiling back at him and touching his cheek.

He leans down to kiss her, his hand at her waist and hers at the back of his neck.

_I love you_ , he says quietly, his lips brushing her jaw and her smile widens. She closes her eyes and they are close enough that he can feel her lashes on his cheek, light and feathery.

_I love you too_ , she replies and her words are soft, a whispered secret for him only. It is not something he will forget.  



End file.
